Low water actuated means for steam generators



Patented Feb. 21, 1933 sm Ares;

Joel-"ice DAVID MYJQOQNTZF.QFYA?I$BU3YNQRTH! @ABQHNA A SiG Q Q? Q -H LJAMES PMPQRSETRQE SBENCEBY NQB H CAROLINA ow WATER ACTUATEDIMEANSYIFYQBIS'QEAM GENERATORS Application aieanec mber 11, 1930. ser alno. 501,688.

This invention relates to a low wateractuated means for a steamgenerator and. comprises means whereby the same. may, belattached to asteam generator to cause steam to be ledi'rom the generator to a.lowiwater alarm When a predetermined lowness of Water has beenreachedinthegenerator so as to allow steam topass into-the lowwateractuatedmechanismto expand the same and to. thereby open a valve to:allow steam to pass through to an alarm and alsomeans are providedwhereby a (jacket is mounted around the expansion memberto protectthesame fromvariation in temperature and also .to receive waterirom thewater .g ste1n asthe Water is passed into thesteam generator to quicklycool the expansion member to cause the valveiwhichhasbeen opened by theexpansion to be closed. I I

; This invention is adaptedito: be operated simply as I a low Water.alarm or .can. be used in connection with the mechanism disclosed in .mycol-pending patent application, Serial Number 483;;07 which wasfiledinthe United :States'PatentQfliQeon September 20, 1930 in whichapplication, =means are shown for using. the steam which is allovvedjo,escape f ronr the; low! ater, alarm mechanism. to antomatically start aninjector or apump-Uor both if desired and it is an objectofthisinyention to substitute-. the low water actuated mechanism :shownand described in this; application, ii -lieu of -tl1G;.\lOW Water alarmmechanism shown; in theapplication above referred toiby, serial numberso-that not only cam this lowuwater actuated mechanism be ,usedulas analarm, bnt also toac tuate the means for; replenishing the: supply ofiwate'r, the generator as shown; .in said: pending; application.

Some of-the objects of my. -in ventipn. havi g efinfitall other Obj c sw imm rs vthe description proceeds When taken in connection with the caccomp anying drawings I in 7 Which :IlFigure 1 is a side elevation o fa, portion of a steam lo m ive s ng my, nve io pip iedthere o;

F igureZ is aside elevation partly in cross section showingthe low Wateractuated means ure 1; v

Figure 31s a top view of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4&4 inF=igure'2;" Figure 5 is a view of the lower right-hand portion Figure 2With certain of the parts removed for sake of clearness.

Referring"more specifically to .the drawingsthe numeral -indicates theboiler or steam generating portion of a locomotive or any other steamgenerating unit which has a conventional cab 11 and threadably securedin the top portion ofthe boiler 10 is a member 12 which has averticallydisposed passageway l therein to which is secured in the lower endthereof a pipe 14 which leads downwardly into the boiler to a pointbelow the normal Water level line in the boiler and immediatelyabove-the danger Water leveli line in an enlarged scale from that shoWnin Fig- 15 which is indicated in Figure l. This ably secured a memberleans in this passageway 17 a compression springv19' is mounted andinside of this compression spring is mounted a valve and valve stem 20which seats as at 21 and the stem extends outwardly Where it is engagedby another stemi22 which is slidably. mounted inlthe nut 23vwliich isthr'ead abl y mounted-in 'the end i of member 18. This member 18 has a'vertically disposdsport .24 which has secured in the :lower end there-.of anipple 25 withi'anjelbow, 26, siecnreditheretfojand a ipipe, 27leading therefrom. 'This pipe-271 is adapted to, lead to a. .cylinden128 wwhichis morespecificallyc describedin my .co-pending appliqatiomserial Number 5183,-

307 above referred to. The member' 12has a projectionQQ on one sidethereof in.v which -is adjustably mounted avrodfio by nlflan'sifof nuts31 and 32 on opposite sidesfthereof which rodis threadablymounted in thelower endlof a support 33. I The support 33. proie pwa i l y e lw l P lq j' hi in w hich serves as a. pivot point for'bell- .crank lever :35which has onelend jtheieof 'piv'qtally secured as at 36 to a inem 'ber''37 which threadably seouredon the npper end of member 38, member 38being preferably a brass pipe or any other material having a suitableco-efficient of expansion. This member or pipe 33 is threadably securedat its lower end in the upper enlarged end of port 13 in member 12.Closely surrounding the member 38 and spaced some distance therefrom isa jacket member 39 which is threadably secured to member 12 at the lowerend thereof and forms a sliding fit with the mem ber 38 at the upper endthereof. This said jacket has a pipe 40 leading into the upper endthereof from the upper end of container 41 and a pipe 42 leads into thebottom of container 41, said pipe leading from pipe 43 which is thesupply pipe leading from the injector or pump, which is not shown, intothe boiler so that when the injector or pump is automatically started bythis low water mechanism that a portion of the water will pass upwardlyto the container 41 and thru pipe 40 into the space between jacket 39and member 38 to quickly cool the same to cause the valve 21 to beclosed. This container 41 has a leak 44 extending from the bottomportion thereof which is connected to a drain pipe 45 and also connectedto this drain pipe 45 is a leak 46 which is connected to port 47 whichcommunicates with the space between members 38 and 39 so that the waterin the jacket 39 will be drained when the operation of pumping orinjecting water into the generator has ceased.

The bell-crank lever 35 has a cavity therein in which a compressionspring 47 is mounted, and the other end of this compres sion spring fitsagainst the support 33 so as to normally hold the bell-crank lever 35 inthe position shown in Figures 1 and 2. The lower end of this bell-cranklever 35 is adapted to engage the end of member 22 to open valve 21 whensteam is allowed to pass into member 38. V

Passagewa-y or port 17 which has previous ly been described as havingthe port 16 passing thereinto also has a port 48 leading laterallytherefrom which is normally closed by a tap 49, the purpose of thisadditional port being that if desired a supply of steam from the steamturret or any other suitable source can be led to this port 48 byremoving tap 49 and connecting a suitable pipe thereinto so that steamcan be led through the device from any other suitable source if desiredinstead of allowing the steam to pass into the low water alarm meansthrough port 16.

The steam passing through pipe 27 can be led through cylinder 28 andthen through pipe 27a to the low water alarm whistle 50 if desired or incase the mechanism of cylinder 28 is not used, then the pipe 27 can beled directly to the low water alarm 50 which is a whistle, or if desiredit is evident that any other suitable alarm means can be actuated by thesteam passing through pipe 27.

In case the cylinder 28 which is more specifically described in myco-pending patent application above referred to, should be used inconnection with an injector, then pipe 51 would be led to the steamturret through a manual valve and pipe 52 would also be led to the steamturret through a manual Valve and pipe 53 would be led to the bottom ofthe overflow valve of the injector and pipe 54 would be led to the topof the valve in the injector which when opened allows steam to be passedthrough the injector to suck water into the boiler and pipe 55 would beused as a drain pipe.

In case the above described mechanism should be used in connection withthe conventional water pump on a steam generating plant such as arailroad locomotive then the pipe 51 would be led to the steam turretand 52 would serve as a drain while 53 would lead to the bottom of avalve for opening the same to admit steam to the steam water pump, and54 would lead to the top of said valve while 55 would be a drain pipe.

The method of operation of the mechanism above described is as follows:

With the mechanism installed as shown in Figure 1 it is evident thatwhen the water in the generator 10 sinks to the point indicated by thedotted line 15 that steam will be allowed to pass through pipe 14 intothe member 38 and expand the same. This will push point 36 upwardly anddue to the great compoundage between the two ends of the bell-cranklever with relation to pivot point 34, the lower end of said bell-cranklever 35 will push member 22 inwardly and this will open valve 21 andsteam will pass from the interior of the generator through pipe 27 andinto cylinder 28 to automatically actuate the injector or the pump'asthe case may be and also pass the steam through pipe 27 a to low wateralarm 50. At the same time the water passing through pipe 43 from thepump or the injector into the generator will be under great pressure andthis will cause a small portion of water to be forced upwardly throughpipe 42 into retarding container 41 and fill the same, but while fillingthe same water will be leaking through pipe 44 and pipe 45. but onaccount of the fact that the intake of water into tank 41 will be muchgreater than the outgo this will fill at a predetermined time and waterwill pass from the upper portion of container 41 through pipe 40 intothe space between jacket 39 and the expansion member 38 and cool theexpansion member and cause the parts to assume the position shown inFigures 1 and 2 and allow valve 21 to close and cause the steam to stoppassing through pipe 27 and to low water alarm 50 and to the cylinder 28because 1&3983490 this cylinder and its associated parts will alreadyhave been actuated to automatically start the pump or injector as thecase may be. The water passing into the space between jacket 39 andexpansion member 38 will gradually leak through port 47 and pipe 46 intodrain 45 and the parts will assume a position ready for instantoperation when another low water level occurs in the sys tem.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a low water alarm for steam generators, an expansion memberadapted to be in fluid communication with the interior of the generator,a valve having a passageway for communication with the interior of thegenerator and means for normally closing the valve, a bell crank leverhaving one end thereof connected to the expansion member and the otherend thereof normally in close proximity to but disconnected from saidvalve, means independent of the expansion member for pivotallysupporting the bell crank lever intermediate its ends, a jacketsurrounding the expansion member, means for supplying a cooling fluidbetween the expansion member and the jacket.

2. In a low water alarm, a boiler, a thermostatically actuated expansionelement, a fluid connection between the said boiler and the. expansionelement, means controlled by said expansion element for forcing waterinto the boiler, a jacket surrounding the expansion element and forminga space between the expansion element and the jacket and means forforcing a cooling fluid into said space while water is being forced intothe boiler, said means operable by said expansion element including amember having a passageway for leading steam out of the boiler, anormally closed valve in said passageway, a support, a bell crank leverpivoted intermediate its ends on said support, a pivoted connectionbetween one end of said lever and said expansion element, the other endof said lever being removed normally from said valve and being adaptedto engage and open said valve when moved by the expansion element.

3. In a steam generator, a device adapted to be operated by steam fromsaid generator when a predetermined degree of lowness of water occurs inthe generator, said device comprising a connection piercing the shell ofthe generator and extending below the normal water line, an expansionelement secured in said connection and being in fluid communication withthe interior of the generatonan-adjustable support secured-to. saidconnection,;a bell crank; lever Y pivotally .secured intermediateitsends to the said support, means for securing the ShOIlICL GIlCl ofthelever tofltheexpansionelement, a valve in said:connectionand havingifluid com- ,municationwith the interior of the generator-, a valvevstemassociated with said valve and projecting in close proximity to thelongenfree :end of the-bell crank lever, said valve being adaptedto beopened when said expansion -elen 1ent moves said bell crank lever inonedirection, a jacketsurrounding the expagns-ion elementin spaced relationthereto and having -its;lower endsecured inc-said iconnection andslidably engaging the expansion .element near its ,upper end and means;fonforcing-Water between .said jacket andasaid expansion element aftersaid valve has'been'opened-by said lever.

L'In a combined low water alarm oper- -ating meansifor water forcingmeans for steam generator, an; expansion element in fluid communicationwith the interior of the generator wand having a passageway for steamleading from the .generator, anornal ly closed valvein said passageway,means associated with said expansion element and said valvefor openingthe 'valve whensteam passes into the-expansion element, a jacketsurrenndingsaid expansion element in spaced relation thereto and.meansfor passing a cooling fluid between said jacket and said expansionelement after thesame has been expanded to sound the low water alarm andstart the said water forcing means.

5. Means for automatically replenishing the supply of water in a steamboiler and sounding a lo w water alarm comprising an expansion elementin fluid communication with the interior of the boiler, means operableby the expansion element for actuating the water replenishing means,ajacket surrounding the expansion element and forming a spacetherearound, and means communicating with the water replenishing meansfor forcing water into said space to cool the expansion element.

6. In a steam generator having a low water alarm and also having meansfor forcingwater into the generator, other means for allowing steam tobe conducted from the generator to the forcing means to render the sameoperative, means for conducting said steam from the forcing means to thelow Water alarm after the forcing means has been rendered operative,said other means comprising an expansible member in fluid communicationwith the steam in the generator,

a jacket enclosing the expansible member, #55125 bell crank leverpivotally mounted intermediate its ends and having one of its endsconnected to the expansible member and having its other end adapted tocontrol the flow of steam from said other means to the forcing means,and means for passing a cooling fluid between said jacket and theexpansible member when the forcing means are operated.

' 7. Means for automatically forcing Water into a steam generator whenthe water level therein falls below a predetermined point, said steamgenerator being provided with conventional water forcing means,comprising a hollow expansible element in fluid communication with theinterior of the generator, control means for the water forcing means, asteam connection between said generator and said control means andhaving a normally closed valve therein, means operable by the expansibleelement for opening said valve when the water level sinks to apredetermined point in the generator to allow steam to enter saidexpansible element, a

jacket surrounding said expansible element providing a space between theinterior of the jacket and said expansible element, a reservoir havingcommunication with the interior of said jacket at its upper and lowerportions, a drain pipe in said lower connection, means for conductingwater from the water forcing means into said reservoir from whence thewater is adapted to flow from the top of the reservoir when filled intosaid space between said jacket and said expan sible element to cool saidexpansible element to cause said valve to render inoperative the waterforcing means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DAVID RAY KOONTZ.

